“Steve and Ty have set an excellent example for other developers
to follow and made our community a better place in which to live,”
the city commission said in a statement after awarding the couple
the commission’s first Blakely Award for preservation leadership.
The commission plans to give the award on an annual basis.

“In their renovation efforts, Ty and Steve chose to do so in a
way that it would retain its original historic integrity,” the
commission said. “The Lynwood Center neighborhood has been
revitalized by their efforts.”

Early this year, Romein and Cramer
purchased an Old Mill Road farm with the goal of preserving it
as farmland and to develop a trail connecting to other public
pathways. They also plan to rehabilitate two 19th-century
farmhouses on the property.

The pair then purchased an even larger farm that island
preservation groups have had their eye on for years. Romein and
Cramer plan to put farmers to work on the land, develop a farming
education program with nearby Blakely Elementary and set aside a
portion as preserved open space.